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Glite Dictionary
to wrestle with a pig

to wrestle with a pig

9.3
To argue with someone who will not listen and waste your time
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : perder el tiempo discutiendo
  • Debating internet trolls usually ends up being like wrestling with a pig.

Examples

  • Whenever I try to complain to customer service, it feels like wrestling with a pig.

  • He warned her that arguing with him would just be wrestling with a pig.

  • Don't wrestle with a pig!

  • She is always wrestling with a pig over trivial matters.

  • Arguing with unreasonable people is often like wrestling with a pig because you get nowhere.

  • Trying to convince a stubborn friend about that topic was just wrestling with a pig.

  • Working with uncooperative colleagues can feel like wrestling with a pig with no positive outcome.

Synonyms

to beef
vsto wrestle with a pig
  • Slang
59 8.4

To complain in an angry way about something

is a pointless back and forth with an unreasonable person rather than complaint
to bicker
vsto wrestle with a pig
36 4.1

Argue again and again with someone about small unimportant things

is a futile fight with an unreasonable person rather than meaningful disagreement
to quarrel
vsto wrestle with a pig
35 2.6

To argue angrily with someone about small things

is a pointless or futile argument often with someone unreasonable
to butt heads
vsto wrestle with a pig
  • Informal
13 6.3

To argue strongly with each other

is a futile argument with an unreasonable person rather than a strong clash
to wrangle
vsto wrestle with a pig
6 6.8

To argue loudly for a long time

is instead a pointless fight with an unreasonable person rather than just noisy arguing
to lock horns
vsto wrestle with a pig
  • Informal
5 5.1

To argue strongly with someone about something

is more about pointless, wasted argument with someone unreasonable than strong conflict
to pettifog
vsto wrestle with a pig
  • Archaic
9.9

Argue about small, unimportant details and waste time

is a pointless dispute with someone unreasonable rather than dishonest quibbling

Antonyms

to stay out of it
56 3.8

To avoid getting involved in an argument or fight

How Pointless

to wrestle with a pig
  • Offensive
9.3
to talk to a brick wall
  • Informal
1 7.0
to go round in circles
  • Informal
1 5.2

Surface Forms

wrestle with a pig infinitive
wrestled with a pig past
wrestled with a pig past participle
wrestling with a pig present participle
wrestles with a pig third person singular

Morphology

wrestle + with + a + pig

The literal image of physically wrestling with a pig conveys a messy, pointless struggle that a B1 learner who knows 'wrestle' and 'pig' can plausibly infer; the particle 'with' and the article add no obscuring meaning. However, the specific pragmatic sense — that engaging in argument with an unreasonable person is futile and demeaning — is an idiomatic extension of that image and requires cultural/pragmatic knowledge beyond simple compositionality.

Etymology

Wrestle with a pig comes from the image of someone trying to wrestle a stubborn pig, which only leaves the person dirty while the pig enjoys the fight. That's why the saying means 'to get into a pointless argument with someone who won't be reasonable'.